How to pay pen makers in India?

[Brian C]

Hey all. I've recently been in contact with a pen maker in India. Communication has been great and I've selected several pens that I would like to purchase. However payment has been a problem. Apparently PayPal isn't an option, the maker doesn't want to give me the required information for a wire transfer, I've tried Paytm, but doesn't work from America, Google pay sends me to Western Union because it's international. Ergh!!! There has got to be some way to pay him. How do my fellow Americans pay pen makers in India?

[Mr5x5]

I used PayPal for Ranga but that doesn't seem to be an option for you.

[Brian C]

No, it's not Ranga. They seem to be the only pen maker in India that take PayPal.

[A Smug Dill]

21 minutes ago, Brian C said:

No, it's not Ranga. They seem to be the only pen maker in India that take PayPal.

 

Negative. ASA Pens as well. 

[Brian C]

48 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Negative. ASA Pens as well. 

Yeah, I forgot about them. This isn't ASA.

[K Singh]

I am surprised they don't want to give you their bank account details for wire transfer. Earlier I have paid to so many Indian penmakers via bank transfer itself though I am from India. Ranga, ASA, lotus, Gama, Guider, Woodex, Kim pens - all of these sellers readily provided me their bank account details when I told them I don't use Google pay or anything similar.

[Brian C]

Never mind. It was Ratnam Pens. After much back and forth they just now told me they won't sell me a pen because I'm from America.

[K Singh]

1 hour ago, Brian C said:

Never mind. It was Ratnam Pens. After much back and forth they just now told me they won't sell me a pen because I'm from America.

Sorry to hear that.

[Brian C]

I don't understand why they won't ship internationally if the buyer is willing to pay the costs.

[K Singh]

1 hour ago, Brian C said:

I don't understand why they won't ship internationally if the buyer is willing to pay the costs.

Perhaps they may not be doing it right now because of Covid delays or something. Also Ratnam and Ratnamson are different. Mr. Ramanamurthy from Ratnamson passed away recently and they still haven't started their production it seems.

 

I too have tried several times to get a pen from them but couldn't succeed and I am from India. Since past few days several people have shared how they couldn't get a Ratnam pen in the Indian fountain pen group on Facebook. Hope it's a temporary thing and they sort out all these issues.

[MSA]

So I bought a pen from GM Custom Pens in India recently. He was willing to charge through Paypal and ship to the US as well. However, I managed to get a friend from UAE pick it up and ship it me in Houston.

 

Here is my communication with him. He was very professional and responsive.

 

"Hello,

  

$110 for black 

$125 for all other Nikko ebonite colours

 If you want a coated nib options instead of stock nib options  it'd add $7 to the price 

  

Shipping via India Post EMS $25 

Shipping via UPS $33 

 

India post EMS will take anywhere between 2-6 weeks due to reduced frequency of flights

UPS takes anywhere between 7-15 days

 

4% paypal charges applicable as paypal charges us 5.25% on overall transaction. 

 

Regards

Apurv Kulkarni"

[Brian C]

Okay, thanks. I have recently learned there is no mail coming from India right now.

[bugsydog55]

I have found myself in the same situation several times.  I would love to add some of Ratnamson's pens to what I have, or a few Deccan's, or Mohi or other makers.  I have a bunch of the Rangs, ASA, Airmail/Wality, Click, Fellowship, Camlin crowd.  Been able to get several KIM ACR pens, some unbranded ebonites and such.  Its these other shops where I cannot obtain a single pen from and, if I can actually get a pen or two in a cart, there is no way on the planet to pay for them.  We like to assume that the whole world is our market where we can freely shop to acquire whatever our hearts desire.  It can get irritating knowing that there are some things you just can't buy over the internet.

Edited December 19, 2021 by bugsydog55
grammar

[Shyahi]

Off late Deccan pens have become highly unresponsive.
 Last year during a Ramzan/Eid I had raised a request for their Advocate pen.

I’m from same city but with poor past experience offline I decided to try online to see if theirs any difference but alas. 

Come what may they will never respond or revert back on time just like any 80/90’s era communication system.

[matteob]

Hello Brian there are two (confusing) Ratnam pen companies. I think it was Ratnamson who refused to deal with me as I am in England. The other one is RV Ratnam. I eventually managed to get a pen from them but it was a huge hesdache. The penmaker has an email address but never replied. He was an elderly man in his 80s. I eventually telephoned him to order (he speaks good English) and he took my address and I think i paid by Western Union. I would persevere if he is atill making pens as the little 12 eyedropper with 14k nib is a lovely little pen. I’d like a 302 or a 42 but not sure if I can go through the aggro of ordering again. I found India Post registered slow but the pens did arrive. A pen maker who is willing to sell abroad is Guider also Rajamurthy. He  doesn’t craft his own 14k gold nibs like Ratnam though but uses German nibs for the converter fill and Wality for eyedropper.Ranga is easy to deal with as the pen maker’s son is tech savvy and  deals with the online side. I have feeling the ebonite craft pen industry there is dying out as little interest among Indians.

[HartGummi]

On 1/29/2022 at 2:37 AM, matteob said:

I have feeling the ebonite craft pen industry there is dying out as little interest among Indians.

It was worse in the 90s when established manufactures had already declined. Handcrafted fountain pens are being picked up by hobbyists these days. 

 

 

[hari317]

On 1/29/2022 at 2:37 AM, matteob said:

Hello Brian there are two (confusing) Ratnam pen companies. I think it was Ratnamson who refused to deal with me as I am in England. The other one is RV Ratnam. I eventually managed to get a pen from them but it was a huge hesdache. The penmaker has an email address but never replied. He was an elderly man in his 80s. I eventually telephoned him to order (he speaks good English) and he took my address and I think i paid by Western Union. I would persevere if he is atill making pens as the little 12 eyedropper with 14k nib is a lovely little pen. I’d like a 302 or a 42 but not sure if I can go through the aggro of ordering again. I found India Post registered slow but the pens did arrive. A pen maker who is willing to sell abroad is Guider also Rajamurthy. He  doesn’t craft his own 14k gold nibs like Ratnam though but uses German nibs for the converter fill and Wality for eyedropper.Ranga is easy to deal with as the pen maker’s son is tech savvy and  deals with the online side. I have feeling the ebonite craft pen industry there is dying out as little interest among Indians.

If you spoke to an elderly gentleman who spoke good English, then it was most certainly Dr KV Ramanamurthy of RATNAMSON. You can verify if by reading the clip of your pen. Unfortunately Dr Ramanamurthy passed away late last year. He was the last person making handmade gold nibs in India. So pls hang on to your example. 
 

if you must buy an Indian pen. I recommend Woodex.  I have a thread on them in this forum. Best quality. 
 

 

[matteob]

That’s a shame as when I finally got through to him he was a really pleasant man but said he had “no clue” about computers but left it to his nephew to do that side of things. May he rest in peace.

 

I take it then he has not passed down the nib making skills and that the Ratnamson pens will now have mass produced proprietary nibs? The young just don’t seem as interested in learning craftsmanship. The old man who services my watch has retired now and his son won’t do the intricate work on a watch movement but will only work with clocks: such is the world we live in. 

[Brian C]

I have since managed to contact Ratnam pens. They will only accept payment by Western Union and will only ship to India, but thanks to a kind FPN member in India, I now have a few of their pens heading my way.

[Brian C]

On 1/30/2022 at 1:10 AM, hari317 said:

If you spoke to an elderly gentleman who spoke good English, then it was most certainly Dr KV Ramanamurthy of RATNAMSON. You can verify if by reading the clip of your pen. Unfortunately Dr Ramanamurthy passed away late last year. He was the last person making handmade gold nibs in India. So pls hang on to your example. 
 

if you must buy an Indian pen. I recommend Woodex.  I have a thread on them in this forum. Best quality. 
 

 

Hari, thanks to that post I have contacted Narsimha from Woodex. He is an absolute gentleman. I now have five of their pens which are top notch. My model 40 has been used daily since it's arrival.